17,500 teachers take a stand against unequal pay

Tuesday 08 November 2016

“The job of a trade union is to protect its most vulnerable members against unfair and inequitable treatment,” ASTI President Ed Byrne said today.

“More than 6,000 recently qualified teachers are on inferior pay scales and will lose out significantly in terms of life time earnings. Approximately 2,000 ASTI teachers are recently qualified teachers. Their introduction to their teaching career has been clouded by inferior pay and precarious contracts. Many of them earn a fraction of a fulltime salary. Ireland’s second-level teachers work hard to promote inclusivity and equal status for students. It is ironic that their employer is at the same time attempting to embed unequal treatment within the teaching profession.”

Up to 17,500 teachers who are ASTI members are engaging in a second one-day strike today in pursuit of Equal Pay for Equal Work. The union is demanding the restoration of the common basic pay scale for all teachers.

ASTI teachers who entered the profession from 2012 earn up to 21% below the common teachers’ pay scale, or approximately €8,000 less per annum.